Lithography processes are extensively utilized in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, where various IC patterns are transferred to a workpiece to form an IC device. A lithography process typically involves forming a resist layer over the workpiece, exposing the resist layer to patterned radiation, and developing the exposed resist layer, thereby forming a patterned resist layer. The patterned resist layer is used as a masking element during subsequent IC processing, such as an etching process, where a resist pattern of the patterned resist layer is transferred to the workpiece. A quality of the resist pattern directly impacts a quality of the IC device. As IC technologies continually progress towards smaller technology nodes (for example, down to 14 nanometers, 10 nanometers, and below), line edge roughness (LER), line width roughness (LWR), and/or contrast of the resist pattern has become critical. Multiple factors affect LER, LWR, and/or contrast of the resist pattern, among which is a developer (in other words, a chemical solution) used for developing the exposed resist layer. Positive tone development (PTD) processes, which remove exposed portions of the resist layer, often use aqueous base developers, and negative tone development (NTD) processes, which remove unexposed portions of the resist layer, often use organic-based developers. Currently, though PTD processes provide sufficient resist contrast, PTD processes cause resist swelling issues that degrade LER and/or LWR. In contrast, though NTD processes typically minimize (or even eliminate) resist swelling issues, NTD processes provide insufficient resist contrast. Accordingly, although existing lithography techniques have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects.